How to practice: This set collects only the Interactive Speaking question type from the real DET (Duolingo English Test) — DET Speaking questions. No grading, no timer — solve it yourself, then tap each question to reveal the answer or model response.
Riley — Riley is conducting a research project on media consumption habits and trust in journalism, and wants to discuss your views in depth.
Turn 1
“To start us off — where do you primarily get your news, and has that changed significantly over the past five years or so?”
Useful Expressions
That's a question I've thought about · Five years ago I relied on · Now I'd say · The shift has given me
Show Model Response
That's a question I've actually thought about quite a bit. Five years ago, I relied primarily on a couple of established newspaper websites and a weekly news magazine for most of my information. Now I'd say my consumption is much more fragmented. I follow several journalists directly on social media, I listen to a news podcast during my commute, and I occasionally read long-form journalism from independent outlets. The shift has given me access to a wider range of perspectives, but I'm also more aware than I used to be that I have to actively manage the quality of what I consume — the curation is no longer done for me by an editorial staff whose standards I understand.
Turn 2
“Interesting. How much do you trust the journalism you encounter on a daily basis? Do you find yourself skeptical of news sources that you would have trusted before?”
Useful Expressions
My trust has become more differentiated · I've grown more skeptical of · The distinction I try to make is · What I've lost is
Show Model Response
My trust has become more differentiated rather than simply declining overall. I've grown more skeptical of certain categories of content — particularly anything that seems designed to provoke an emotional reaction rather than provide information — but I've also developed stronger trust in specific journalists and specific editorial processes. I think the distinction I try to make is between the institution and the individual: I might trust a particular reporter's work even if I have reservations about their outlet's business model or editorial priorities. What I've lost is a kind of ambient trust — the assumption that if something appears in a reputable-looking source, it has been adequately verified. Now I tend to ask more actively: what is the evidence for this claim, and who benefits from my believing it?
Turn 3
“You mentioned emotional content — do you think you're ever influenced by that kind of content even when you recognize what it's doing? How do you handle that?”
Useful Expressions
Honestly, yes · I think it would be disingenuous to claim · What I try to do is · It's an ongoing discipline
Show Model Response
Honestly, yes. I think it would be disingenuous to claim that recognizing a manipulation technique makes you immune to it. If I see a headline framing a political figure I already distrust in a particularly unflattering way, my first instinct is often to share it, not to verify it. What I try to do — with imperfect success — is introduce a deliberate pause before I act on that impulse. I'll ask myself: do I believe this because it's well-supported, or because it confirms something I already think? I also try to notice when I feel a strong urge to share something, because that emotional pull is often a signal that the content has been optimized for engagement rather than for accuracy. It's an ongoing discipline, not a solved problem.
Turn 4
“Let's talk about local news specifically. Do you actively follow news about your local community, and do you think that kind of journalism matters in a different way than national or international coverage?”
Useful Expressions
Local journalism matters to me in a way that · I care about what happens in · The irony is that · I think this is one of
Show Model Response
Local journalism matters to me in a way that I don't think is fully captured by how much time I actually spend consuming it — and that gap is something I find slightly uncomfortable. I care about what happens in my city council, in my local schools, and in the courts nearby, but I often find that the local outlets covering those issues are understaffed and under-resourced relative to the complexity of what they're trying to cover. There's a real sense in which national and international news has become easier to follow because it's better funded and more prominently distributed. The irony is that local decisions probably affect my daily life more directly than most national policy debates, but the incentive structures of digital media don't reflect that. I think this is one of the most serious structural problems in contemporary journalism.
Turn 5
“Given everything you've described — the fragmentation, the trust issues, the decline of local news — are you ultimately optimistic or pessimistic about the future of journalism?”
Useful Expressions
I'd describe myself as a cautious optimist · I don't want to minimize · What gives me the most concern is · That's a democracy problem as much as
Show Model Response
I'd describe myself as a cautious optimist, and I want to be careful to explain what I mean by that, because I don't want to minimize the real problems. The economic model that sustained large professional newsrooms is genuinely broken, and I don't see a clear replacement on the horizon. But I'm also struck by the quality of some of what is being produced by independent journalists, nonprofit newsrooms, and investigative collaborations that would not have been viable ten years ago. What gives me the most concern is the distribution problem — even if excellent journalism is being produced, its reach is increasingly limited to audiences who are already engaged and already looking for it. The people who most need access to high-quality information are often the least likely to encounter it. That's a democracy problem as much as a media problem.
Turn 6
“Finally — if you could change one thing about the current media landscape, what would it be and why?”
Useful Expressions
If I could change one thing · Right now the problem is · Changing that relationship could · Without solving the economic dimension
Show Model Response
If I could change one thing, I think it would be the economic relationship between journalism and the platforms that distribute it. Right now, social media platforms capture the vast majority of digital advertising revenue, while news organizations do the expensive work of producing the content that people come to those platforms to read and share. Changing that relationship — whether through some form of revenue sharing, through regulatory requirements, or through alternative funding structures — could begin to address the resource crisis that underlies most of the other problems we've discussed. It wouldn't automatically improve the quality of journalism or restore public trust, but it would at least give quality journalism a fighting chance to exist at the scale a democratic society needs. Without solving the economic dimension, everything else is a conversation about deck chairs.
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